


midnight yearning

by queenvenus



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, Pining, Romance, a bit of angst, catradora is my biggest weakness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 11:04:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18248555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenvenus/pseuds/queenvenus
Summary: feelings are much more powerful in the dark, adora knows that better than anyone.





	midnight yearning

It’s the absence of warmth that alerts Adora into the waking world. In the darkness of the room, Adora’s eyes adjust to the gloom, and she notices that her bed is empty. They had been sleeping together for so long that Adora can feel Catra’s loss even in her dreams. This wouldn’t be the first time Catra had slipped out of bed in the middle of the night, but it was rare for her to do so on a night as cold as this one. But today hadn’t been a good one, and it makes Adora worry. Adora quietly gets up, shivering as her bare feet touch the floor. She puts on her shoes, trying not to wake anyone in her haste, and leaves.

It takes barely five minutes for Adora to find her, on a metal ledge, sitting cross-legged with her face to the moon. It’s times like these that Adora stops to take in Catra’s face. Adora had always been praised for her looks, either by the other horde members or by Shadow Weaver herself, but no one seemed to recognize that Catra held a beauty of her own. Looking at her now, Adora wonders how nobody else seemed to notice.

“Hey, Adora.” Catra greets her, eyes still skyward, and Adora can’t help but smile. She had tried to sneak up on her best friend many times over the years, and she could count on one hand how many times she had succeeded. “What’re you doing up?”

“I should be asking you that.” Adora takes a place beside her, taking special care to sit down. “Scooch,” she waves her hand and Catra shifts to make room. A breeze sweeps through, and Adora shivers, running her hands down her arms.

They sit in silence.

“So,” Adora starts, realizing that she’s going to have to pull a few teeth to get Catra to talk. “What’s up?”

“Couldn’t sleep.” Catra responds, staring blankly out to the gloom of harsh metal and billowing smoke. Even at night, the horde held an ominous green color. “I figured I’d take a walk instead of pacing in the room again.”

“Anything on your mind?” Adora asks, looking sideways at her friend. Catra’s face remains passive, the wind ruffling her wild mane of hair. Catra shrugs.

“Not really. You should go back inside.”

That’s how Adora knows she’s lying. Catra was always nonchalant and dismissive to a point, but no matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn’t keep up the facade around Adora. They were simply too close for that.

“Alright.” Adora makes an effort to cross her arms with an air of finality. Catra raises an eyebrow.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m staying here.” Adora replies, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Until you tell me what’s wrong.”

“Adora…”

“You can’t tell me otherwise, Catra.” Adora sings, smiling coyly.

“I know.” Catra says, deadpan. “You straightened your back. You always do that when you’re being stubborn.”

Adora blinks, surprised. “You know that about me?” It was such an insignificant thing, one that she didn’t even notice. Catra smirks.

“Uh, yeah. We’ve only been friends since the day we could walk.” Her tone makes it seem like it’s no big deal, but something warm and not so unfamiliar goes rolling in Adora’s stomach at the comment. It’s that same warm feeling that Adora has been getting recently whenever Catra makes a remark about her.  _Maybe I’m getting sick,_  Adora thinks.

A voice whispers in the back of her head.  _Or maybe it’s something more._

Adora shakes her head, trying to come on her senses.

“Come on, Catra. You know you can tell me anything.” Another gust of wind has Adora wrapping her arms tighter around herself. At this, Catra regards her with a stare, eyes striking even in the dark. Her face is blank, but the cracks in her mask are beginning to form.

“I just…hate it here.” Catra admits, putting her chin in her hands. A surge of guilt replaces the warmth in Adora’s stomach, and she looks down at her lap. For as long as she could remember, Catra had always been the odd number, the one with the most stacked against her. It was easy for Adora to make friends, but Catra always lingered on the edge, equipped with a piercing look and a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue. She hadn’t always been that way, but growing up in the Horde, with Shadow Weaver looming over her every move, Adora figured it was Catra’s way of surviving. Catra was always punished for the things Adora easily got away with, whether that was sleeping in late or sneaking in sweets for them to share.

Tongue-lashings from Shadow Weaver were never pleasant, but it seemed much worse for Catra, who would always stomp off in a fury afterwards, demanding to be alone. She would return to Adora hours later, much calmer but still sulky. Today, however, was different. Catra didn’t leave Shadow Weaver until nearly an hour later, and there was a slight bruise on the side of her face that had Adora gaping.

“Did Shadow Weaver  _hit_  you?!” Adora demanded, eyes widening.

Catra’s ears were flattened against her head, but she managed to give Adora a rather flimsy looking smirk.

“Yeah, but it was only after I scratched her. She’s such a cow.”

That made Adora laugh, despite everything, and the tension had momentarily melted away. But it was back now, and the memory had chilled Adora to the bone more than the night air ever could. Catra’s sarcastic remarks and confident swagger were half-natural and half survival instinct. But now, dappled in pale moonlight and shadows, Catra looks small, slight. It’s a rare occurrence, one that doesn’t sit right with Adora.

“I’m here for you, Catra.” Adora says, inwardly cringing at how lame that sounds. But it’s all she has to offer.

“I know.”

“Can we go inside now?” Adora is certain she’s frozen, goosebumps rising on her arms. Catra notices her shaking and nods, grinning.

“Alright.”

They head back, and the bed is too small for the both of them, but they make do.

* * *

 

“Adora?” Adora jerks upright, heart thumping erratically. Bright Moon is dazzling, even at night. There’s a comforting patch of moonlight aided by the stars that lulls Adora to sleep, unlike the thick darkness of the Horde. It’s easy to make out Glimmer’s form in the doorway, and even she seems to shine with a soft, radiant light. Adora had never been around so much light and color before, now she can’t even imagine going a day without the pleasant aura that Bright Moon offers. In the dark, Adora realizes, Glimmer looks almost ethereal.

“Uh, yes?” Adora asks, voice small, and worry immediately takes over. “Is everything okay? Are you alright?”

“Yeah!” Glimmer raises her hands in a placating gesture. “I’m fine, really! I just wanted to check on you, that’s all.”

“Oh,” Adora immediately relaxes, and she smiles sheepishly. “I’m okay, Glimmer.” The only person who ever checked up on her was Catra. Having someone else do it took some getting used to.

“Okay. Goodnight, Adora. Call me if you need me.”

Adora nods. “Goodnight.”

Glimmer leaves, taking a bit of that glow with her. Adora falls back onto her bed, blonde strands strewn about her many pillows. If Adora closes her eyes and concentrates hard enough, she can remember the drafty air and Catra’s form beside her. She could even remember the scent of her hair, the plain scent of soap and something akin to bergamot. That night on the ledge is still burning inside her, and Adora wishes she could go back to that time. There was so much she would say to Catra. That she would do better to protect her from Shadow Weaver’s wrath, that she was confident and strong and  _so much more_ than what anyone else had to say.

Adora burrows under the covers, trying to block out the memories that rise like ghosts. It’s nights like these that the longing in Adora’s chest threatens to smother her. What she wouldn’t give to feel Catra shift under the covers, to hear the low rumble of her voice as they whispered to each other, noses mere inches apart. Adora had never shared such intimacy with another person, and while Glimmer and Bow were much more…affectionate, it just wasn’t the same with them.

_And why is that?_ The voice in the back of her head says.

_Because I miss her_ , Adora rationalizes.  _Because she’s my best friend._

She can hear Catra’s voice as if she were right there beside her.

_Or maybe it’s something more._

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> i saw one (1) episode of she-ra on netflix when i had nothing else to look at and i ended up binge watching the entire series in one night. enjoy and tell me what you think!


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